Hey there!
I'm Yasmine Dankwah
ABOUT ME
I'm a British-Ghanaian neurodivergent, spoken word poet, composer and performer who writes plays. I'm interested in fusing nostalgia, lyricism, and music in my writing to examine resistance (through the lens of identity-based discrimination) and use these themes as a springboard for joy in specifically Black-led and ethnically diverse narratives.
After (an admittedly!) rocky journey in higher education, and a late diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia, I graduated from the Writing for Performance BA at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2022.
I am an alumnus of the VAULT New Writers’ Programme, Soho Writers Lab and the London Library’s Emerging Writers Group. I am currently part of the Emerging Writer’s Group at Bush Theatre.
As a poet, I have performed at the Roundhouse, Soho Karma Sanctum, The Royal Court Theatre and John Lewis Oxford Street. I was also commissioned to perform a poem for Mercedes Benz’s & George the Poet’s Poetry in Motion Event. Having recently developed an interest in audio production vocal looping, I became a recipient of the Francis Chagrin Composition Award, and an alumnus of the Transmission Roundhouse and Multi-Track Off-Mic Courses. I am on the Creative Access’s Thrive Programme for mid-career sound designers and composers.
Spoken Word
Bus Track
daughter, daughter
Sound Design and Compositions
*click on the images to listen to the pieces, if ya fancy :0)
June 2024:
Vocal Loop: BURST
July 2023
Audio Theatre: I used to know H.I.M
April 2023
Poem: what creativity means to me
September 2023
Podcast Jingle Draft: Educating In
May 2022: Omnibus Theatre
June 2022: Webber Douglas, Central School of Speech and Drama
July 2022: Pleasance Theatre &
Short play: rite to party
December 2017 - June 2019
Nottingham New Theatre Sound Credits
Theatre & Audio
I used to know H.I.M
A blend of music and spoken word written and sound designed by me, I used to know H.I.M examines the origins and evolution of Hip-Hop up until the mid-90s from the perspective of H.E.R, as she celebrates, bares witness and slowly falls victim to his increasing popularity within a capitalistic Western society.
Commissioned by Chronic Insanity Theatre in July 2023, you can listen here!
garage girls
Set in the early noughties, garage girls is a coming-of-age story which follows four British-Ghanaian sisters who run a garage in the backdrop of the gentrification of South West London and an impending recession. I am currently developing this story with Boundless Theatre as an Accelerator Artist as well as part of the London Library's Emerging Writers Programme. The pitch doc for the play was also shortlisted for the DYSPLA residency in 2022.
rite to party
rite to party is a spoken word period piece which follows two Black working-class brits on the precipice of adulthood. Developed on the Soho Writers Lab, the play was also longlisted within the top 11, as part of the Tony Craze Award in 2022. The play was directed by Segen Yosef and was performed as part of Omnibus Theatre's Engine Room programme and the Dear Black People Festival. The play was further developed at the North Wall Theatre in Oxford as part of Catalyst 2023, and was directed by Dale Edwards!